The Australian media and terrorism “expert” Dr Rohan Gunaratna

[Aidoneus]

The Australian media and terrorism “expert” Dr Rohan Gunaratna
By Rick Kelly
8 August 2003

Ever since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the “terrorist expert” has become a ubiquitous presence in the international media. Various academics and authors have risen to prominence on the basis of their alleged high-level intelligence connections and access to information about the plans and activities of terrorist organisations.

One of these is Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, routinely described as a “terrorist expert” and “leading authority” on Al Qaeda and Islamic terrorism. He has been interviewed and quoted by media outlets around the world, including the BBC, CNN, and the New York Times.

Gunaratna has an especially high profile in Australia, where he is invariably quoted whenever a favourable opinion is sought, or new evidence needed, for the Australian government’s participation in the “war against terror”.

But a review of his background and credentials raises significant questions about his reliability and “expertise”.

--snip--

In 1997, Gunaratna claimed that the LTTE had developed a new body suit that was specifically designed for suicide bombings. The new suit, he declared in an article published by the Scotland on Sunday, ensured that the terrorist’s head would survive the explosion, becoming a “lethal projectile—sometimes travelling as far as two hundred yards”. No evidence was provided, and in the ensuing six years nothing more has been heard of the deadly suit.

In 2000, Gunaratna alleged that LTTE ships had been sighted in Australian waters and that Australian Tamils were exporting “mini- helicopters” to Sri Lanka for attacks on government troops. His claims, which again were made without evidence, were condemned at the time and have since been quietly dropped.

These problems did nothing to harm Gunaratna’s academic career. (...)

--snip--

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/guna-a08.shtml

As with the last piece I posted, the first examples are interesting, but it just gets worse from there..

The example of Dr.Rohan begs the question, what does it really take to be a "terrorism expert"? The same thing it took to be a professional "Kremlinologist" of the previous era?--a lack of principle, an active and inventive imagination, no moral opposition to lying on command, the desire for money and attention, deep knowledge of the fine arts of preying on the easily manipulated, and the ability to dance like a puppet when power wishes it so..

[rooboy]

1. I just hope people like the ABC and SBS pick up on this...

because they have an equally annoying habit of interviewing PNAC idiots as though they're disinterested observers.

[Mal]

2. We've given you Rupert Murdoch

and the son of John 'Arselicker' Howard; do you suppose we could slip you this bloke, as well?
...the head becomes a “lethal projectile—sometimes travelling as far as two hundred yards”... Oh dear, dear...